A man was airlifted to hospital in a serious condition after an incident on the Mitchell Highway which left the road closed for two hours on Tuesday. Two vehicles collided at about 11.20am on Tuesday and emergency services were called to the scene, which was near the intersection of Pretty Plains Road and the highway, about 20 kilometres south-east of Orange. Both vehicles were travelling east when the collision occurred. Police believe one of them was turning across the road but were conducting investigations to determine how the incident happened. MAP: The area where the collision occurred ... Central West Police District chief inspector Peter Atkins said an elderly man was in a serious condition and had been flown to Westmead Hospital in Sydney with internal injuries. Two men in the other vehicle were both injured, with one treated at the scene while the other was taken to Orange hospital with relatively minor injuries. The road was closed to allow the helicopter to land, with traffic reportedly backed up for kilometres in both directions. The road was reopened just before 2pm.

BACKED UP: the traffic on the Mitchell Highway earlier on Tuesday after the incident.

A man was airlifted to hospital in a serious condition after an incident on the Mitchell Highway which left the road closed for two hours on Tuesday.

Two vehicles collided at about 11.20am on Tuesday and emergency services were called to the scene, which was near the intersection of Pretty Plains Road and the highway, about 20 kilometres south-east of Orange.

Both vehicles were travelling east when the collision occurred. Police believe one of them was turning across the road but were conducting investigations to determine how the incident happened.

MAP: The area where the collision occurred ...

Central West Police District chief inspector Peter Atkins said an elderly man was in a serious condition and had been flown to Westmead Hospital in Sydney with internal injuries.

Two men in the other vehicle were both injured, with one treated at the scene while the other was taken to Orange hospital with relatively minor injuries.